When I joined the local school board here in Philadelphia, I was serving on six volunteer boards: 5 small non-profits and the local water rate board. I stepped down from all of those seats and still spent way more time per week on school board than everything else combined.
When I resigned from school board about three years later, I gave myself a few months off from civic roles, a highly necessary respite given how hard I had run myself ragged from school board.
A good year and a half and change later, I'm happy with the portfolio of civic opportunities I am honored to have:
* Board member of Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, a quasi-public entity that serves as city government's economic development arm
* Trustee at Missio Seminary, a theological seminary that three years ago moved from Hatfield to the heart of Philadelphia
* Advisory board member of the Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania, whose programs include city planning, historic preservation, architecture, and fine arts
* Board member of Public Health Management Corporation, which directly and through its affiliates provides a wide range of health services throughout the region
* Board member of Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA, the network of 16 Y's in our region (13 of which I have personally visited and worked out at!)
These are all by and large much bigger in size and footprint than my previous non-profit boards, and stretch me into somewhat new civic issues and professional networks, which has been delightful to experience. It all makes for a logistically busier schedule but a happier me. And hopefully if my contributions are meaningful, it also makes for a stronger region.
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